La Digue

A marvel. A simple word but one that conveys so many aspects of the Seychelles' third-most inhabited island. The coastline, one bewitching bay after another, is studded with heart-palpitatingly gorgeous beaches. The hilly interior is cloaked with tangled jungle, tall trees and wild hiking trails. Yet, miraculously, despite being just a 15-minute ferry journey from Praslin, the vast majority of it is untouched by development. You don't have to look further than Anse Marron – it's one of the planet's most beautiful beaches but accessible by foot only. And even where infrastructure exists – around the sleepy tropical port in La Passe and La Réunion – everything is so laid-back that visiting feels like a step back in time. One of the most charming elements is that the preferred method of transport here, the old-fashioned bicycle, with trucks, taxis and electric carts left to make guest appearances.